Students studying at college or university have to write a literature review as part of a thesis, dissertation or research paper. A literature review shows that they are familiar with the context of their chosen topic. It positions their work in relation to other researchers and helps them show how their work contributes to a debate or addresses a gap in knowledge.
Steps for writing a literature review
A literature review is an overview of research that already exists. Students need to take the following steps when writing a literature review:
- Search for literature relevant to the thesis topic.
- Analyze and evaluate the sources.
- Identify debates, themes and gaps.
- Outline the structure.
- Write the review.
Search for relevant literature
Before searching for relevant literature, students need to have a clearly defined topic. They can then look for research papers relevant to their research problem. Identifying specific keywords related to their research topic helps with the search. They can then use various databases to search for journals and articles.
It is important to include studies contrary to their point of view. Reading the abstract of an article can help them to find out whether it has any relevance to their topic. Checking a bibliography can help them to find other relevant sources.
Analyze and evaluate sources
Students will have difficulty reading everything written about a topic. They have to evaluate which sources are most relevant to their particular topic. Doing so involves asking certain questions such as “What problem does the author address?” They need to look at the strengths and weaknesses of studies.
Noting the methodologies, testing procedures, subjects etc., used in studies is also important. They must make sure the sources they want to use are credible. Any landmark studies about the topic should be included. Students need to keep track of sources with citations so they can avoid plagiarism.
Ask for help from professional literature review writers
What is a literature review? This is a question a student may ask when realizing that writing a literature review is part of writing a thesis or research paper. Learning how to write a literature review can seem complicated at first. A student can get online help from a professional writer at Uk.EduBirdie who understands what’s required to write a literature review the perfect way. The writer will write a quality, plagiarism-free and deeply researched literature review that gives the student an example to learn from.
Identify debates, themes and gaps
Students need to understand the connections between sources. They need to look for trends or patterns over time. Where do sources disagree and what debates and contradictions exist? Are there studies that changed the course of research? What is missing in the literature? Are there weaknesses that need addressing? Students may identify gaps that they can address in their research.
Outline the structure
Students can take various approaches to structuring a literature review. They can take a chronological approach that traces how the topic develops over time. There’s a danger when using this approach of just listing and summarizing sources in order. It is important for students to offer their interpretation of how and why developments happened. Students can also use a thematic approach. They can have subsections that address the different themes relating to the topic.
Write the literature review
A literature view has an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should clearly state the purpose of the review. Students can reiterate their research question and offer a brief summary of the research context and why their topic of research is necessary.
Students should divide the body into various subsections and write in well-structured paragraphs. Each section should link logically to the one before and after it. Using English idioms can help non-English-speaking students to write an essay or literature review that appears more like that written by a native English speaker.
Rather than paraphrasing other researchers, students should offer their own interpretations. They need to prioritize analysis over description when writing a literature review.
Conclusion
Writing a literature review is not an easy task. Searching for relevant literature is only the first step and this can take plenty of time. Once a literature review is written, there is still all the checking that has to take place to make sure citations and references are correct. Referencing must be in the appropriate style and there shouldn’t be any grammar or spelling mistakes. A literature review is such an important part of academic work that students need to learn how to do it correctly.
Author’s Bio
Carla Davis writes for a leading media agency and is also a social media expert on various freelancing sites. She’s into online tutoring and also runs a video channel where she shares content about academic writing and editing. Her free time is for exploring the world of gadgets and gaming and listen to newly released EDM songs.
